Wire connector



March 30, 1948. H. l.. GORDON WIRE CONNECTOR l L e e w y 4. n 6., e m :.V n/N 4 A. 9 .l 1 1, 2. E! V3 O N NM T1 d1 e H.. 1.. F m 51\\ M Cl H .7* L .R 7N 2%/ lL we B Ik 7 Flql? March 30, 1948.

H. L. GORDON WIRE CONNECTOR Filed Nov, 2l, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'H5 F/G.Z4

INvfNTo/z Patented Mar. 30, 1948 uml" En. srAr-ss e-Areur N L 2.438.722@

WlBEGONNEGEQE.

ligrmanilafgrdon, Silireasgrinalmi v Anglicaton l"ovexn1jlberA 21, 1944i Sqlillll- 564.51%' wr, sav-...evasi This invention. relates toi connectors fon wire ends. v

Aniobject-ofrthis inventionis tamos/ideen im.- proved means off connecting-,a Wire. end; toj a terminal.

A furtherobject of. thisinvention` is toprovide an improved means ofconnectingftwdwire ends together toforml a4 mechanically;I secure connection. g 4

A further object of: this invention. is. tprovide Y an. improved structure for mechanically splicing Wire. endsy togetheror.' to terminals` Without the useof solder.

A furtherv obj ect or this invention. istoa provide a solder-less-connector for Wire endsiwhereini Spee cial` crimping tools;areI not required: toJ be ein?.`

ployed in securing the connection.

Othervobj ects offthisl invention` will. appearfrom the followingl specication` and .clair-ns? an@ from the. accorr-il'aanyingl drawings. illustrating' the. in..- vention, wherein:A f

Figure 1 isa longitudinal crossesectionalV view taken through a. connector accordingftoi this ine vention showingthe securement'of thewire ends.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view'taken. online 272A ofilfig). 1f. l

Figure 3fis-a vieWsimilar-.toF-ig 2showing the relationshipoir the.. pair-ts` before securement is effected. f

Figure 4 is a pla-nview-of the connector-of FigA 1 showing the appearanceof3 the-topportion thereof.

Figure 5 is an elevationalview offanothen emr bodiment of-l al connector* according to. this in Ventiorr.

Figure 6- is anelevational` view` ofi a. further embodiment of a connector according tothisinven-tion.

Figure isa plan-view'of-a terminal employingthe connector structure of this inventioni Figure 8- is across-sectional. viewA taken. onL line 3 8 oi1Fig.7-. H

Figure 9- is a crossfsectionalaviem similar to Fig. 3 but-someWhat-modied;

Eig-ure l0 is a cross-sectional` view-similare to Fig. 3 but disclosing; a. still'v further mduation;

Fig-ure 11 is a vievrsimi-lar toiliig. lll. but?, dis; closing. therelationshipio theL parts; after mure: ment is. eiected;

Figure 1.2.. is, an elevational view.- ofkr a still ffurrf ther modification.

Figure 13- is acrossfsectionaii View taken. on line |3=-|.3'of-A Figure 12'.

Figure 14 isatop. pian view fof; the.. connector shownl inY Figure 5i 1. @energies the.- `wi Figure l5.' is a.V cross-sectionala View: taken on line 15:? 15 of?A Figi-weht.

soidle Wire connectors of the. prior art the wine endg usually.K inserted. into, a sleeve elemen'ltz cfg dief'@unableJ metal. and; securement is obtainedrlzy? crimpingv bhesleene element. contain-ingr thefwfirye. end; bye the. use. or aY special pressure tool; Whose jeavs` `are formed with special crimpingv structure. Thetools mayv be similar to ordinary. pliers. except furthe special configuration. of the jaws. This.A required: configuration Ina-liesV the.v took useless except for this. specific crimping. function.

To avoid; the, need; fon a special; crimping. tool E provide structure in the sleeve. whereby the wire. ends is: crimped?J andg lookedi ina secu-red posirioni by, mere application. oh pressure. toA the sleeve, such as .be` obtained by. the use of ordinary/pliers orby striking the' sleeve. slightly with an' ordina-ry@ hammer;

In Figure 1` a crosssecti`onalf view of: a metal sglioing; sleeve I- is; show-n wherein Wire: ends 2 and'fare heldfirr s ecuid relation. liovvnward-hT depending tongues 4 and 5 are provided which cooperate with the; opposi-tely` positioned ope ings; and 1- respectively in the `sleeve to h ldjhe wire endsfifrr secured relation thereto.

IigS the embodiment; of thisA invention disclosed in,V Figjlli; 2 and] {i3-the edges of'v the sleeve are formeel;Witl'ih cooperating flanges 8 and` 9l adapted t0. bink. together when rh? slee-ve is. squeezed?- The. normal' relation` orf-*the flanges and 9 is ShQWni-noliggre, a. wherein the initial` position. of lg nserted; wire enl-2 is also' shown in dotted vieu.. 'matou-@Mmmm Suriaes Qf'the sleeve are. ammira attgned: rzQrtiQns Hr and l! ta freir hearing, suriases, to, Cooperate. with the ssraeazingisizl.wl1erbr rpiaipnithe sieri/.ev dur.- ingthe squeezing process is.,.Brievented'. As. the i913. and. milioni nortions Il! and lil of the Sleeve tirer. the dgwnstruqk tongue .Qr w Y. -..comieron p QriiQnQf. the. Wire eine. i 0r intemperie Greening, 6. Qr 1.,. thereby end intav Secured. position.. amigar-ating; @gse 8i and.. ashun-1st eac-h other and snap intoI hooked relation, las

aliigure 2. 'Ehe .own t 1491i @neues 4 I f the a maint the ends in to.; aller; wir at Mimet@ be einen mais lasser" germe ,heriireQiiQn-,Qithe diamaiewaresuieaa i -tot Qrenirasf 6iand. 1. in

3 locking anges'may' be reversed, as shown in Figure 9 at 8' and 9'.

In order to allow one wire end at a time to be crimped and locked in secured position in the sleeve I, the locking iiange elements 8 and 9 or 8 and 9 may be provided as separate short ilangeelements adjacent each end of the sleeve i instead of extending continuously throughout the length thereof. This is shown in Figures ,12 and 13 wherein the short interlocking ange elements are indicated vat '8" and 9". VTo facilitate the ready distortion of one end of the sleeve with respect to the other end during the securement of one wire end, a slot I2 having roundedstressdistributing end portions I3 and I4 may be provided intermediate the ends of ther sleeve as shown in Figures 5, 14 and 15. As shown inV these figures, slot I2 extends transversely through a substantial portion of both the upper and lower flanged portions of the sleeve whereby said flanged portions may be considerably.: flexed independently of the remainderof'the sleeve. Y Another means o'f providingfor ready distortion of one Aend of the sleeveLwith respect to theother end is disclosed in Fig. 6- wherein the intermediate portion of one edge of thesleeve is cut away to formv the shallow curvedV recess I5, which distributes the tensile stressat the edge of the sleeve due to the unbalanced pressure at'one end.

A further `modiiication of the sleeve locking meansl is disclosed in Figures 10 and 11, wherein an inwardly `struck tongue/IIS` cooperates with an opening I1 in the sleevewall in a locking relationship similar tov thatexisting between flanges 8 and 9' in Fig. 9;' -The relationship of the tongue and opening' may be reversedn to cooperate in a manner similar tov flanges 81 and 9 in Fig. 2Y ii desired. Furthermore, the tongue and ,opening structure Ymay be employed in the embodiments of Figs. 5y and'6 instead of the locking anges there disclosed. Y

In Figures 'land-'8 the locking structure ofone half of the sleeves of any one of the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 6 and 9 to 11 maybe employed to secure a wirejend I9 to a terminal l8 As in the former embodiments, the wireend is inserted in the sleeve and the sleeve` is squeezed with ordinary .pliers orlightly tapped .with an ordinary hammer so that Vthe cooperating lock- ,ingY flanges or tongue and `opening locking elements snap into locking position. Inthis position the depending tongue 4 holds the .wire end securely crimped inopening 6. .l A

While certain specic embodiments of thisinvention have been shownrit ,willv be understood that various modications may be'lmade within the spirit of the invention. `'Therefore no limitations upon the invention are intended lother than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: y. i 1

1. In a wire connectormof the .character described, a sleeve member for receiving a wire end, means within said sleeve member for yat times gripping said wire end, and locking means responsive to `compression of said sleeve member "for maintaining said gripping means in gripping relationship tosaid wire end. Y y

A2. In a wire connector oithe character described, a sleeve member for receiving a wire end, a depending tongue formedy within said sleeve member adapted at times to contact saidfwire end in gripping relationship therewith, and'locking means carried by said sleeve member, said locking means being rendered eiective responsive'to compression of said sleeve member to maintain said 4 tongue in gripping relationship to said wire end.

3. The structure of claim 1 and whereinthe gripping means comprises a, depending tongue member and an opening formed in the wall of the sleeve member opposite the tongue member.

4. The structure of claim 1 and wherein the sleeve member is formed with superimposed relatively movable edges, said locking means comprising ,cooperating Iiange elements formed on said edges.y

'5.' The'structure of claim 1 and wherein the sleeve member is formed with superimposed relatively movable edge portions, said locking means comprising cooperating hook and socket elements formed on said edge portions.

' 6. The structure of claim 1 and wherein the sleeve member is provided with flattened bearing portionsfmor engagement with a compression tool havingA substantially ilat pressure-applying elements whereby rotation of the sleeve during application of pressure is prevented.

7. In a wire terminal, Ya sleeve memberadapted to receive a wire end,means within said sleeve member forat' times gripping said wire end, and

locking means on said sleeve member rendered effective responsive tol compression of .said sleeve member for maintaining said gripping membergin gripping relationship toY said wire end.

8. A wire splicing device comprising a sleeve,- Y

a recess formed in the sleeve wall intermediate the ends thereof, means within the sleeve adjacent atleast one end thereof for at times gripping a wire end, and locking means onzthe'sleeve renderedeiective responsive to compression of the sleeve'adjacent said one end formaintaining said gripping means in gripping relationship to said wire end.

:9. Means for securing a wire endc'omprising a deformable receptacle Vadaptedto receive said wire end, means withinsaid lreceptacle forrat times gripping said wire end, and locking means on said receptacle renderedreifective Vresponsive to compression' of said receptacle for maintaining saidgripping meansY in gripping relationship to saidiwire end.' Y r 10. Means for securing a wire endcomprisinga sleeve member .adapted to receive said wire end, a depending ytongue formed within said sleeve member adapted at times to contact said-wire end, socket means in said sleeve member formed opposite said'depending tongue adapted at times to receive a portion of said wire end responsive to pressure thereon by said tongue, and locking means Yon said sleeve member rendered eieetive responsive to compression of said sleeve member for Vmaintainingsaid-tongue in its pressure-exerting position.` i f f 11. The structure of claim 10, and ,wherein said: socket means is Yan opening in-said sleeve member. `v` iY f 12.*Means for'securing a wire end comprising a receptacleadapted to receive said wire end, means within 'said receptacle for at times gripping said wire end, andllocking means on said receptacle rendered effective responsive to compression of sai-d receptacle for maintaining said gripping means'in gripping relationship to said wire end, said receptacle being formed with relatively movable edge portions, said locking means comprising cooperatingY projections formed on said edge portions. y Y

13.` Means for securing a wire end 'comprising a receptacle having relatively movable Vopposing walls, said receptacle being adapted to receive a wire end between said opposingwalls, a. Vdepend- 2,4as,17o

ing tongue carried by one of said walls adapted at times to contact said wire end, socket means formed in the other opposing wall opposite said depending tongue adapted at times to receive a portion of said wire end responsive to pressure thereon by said tongue, and cooperating locking means carried by said opposing walls rendered eective responsive to compression of the receptacle for maintaining said tongue in its pressureexerting position.

HERMAN L. GORDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kunze Feb. 3, 1903 Brune, Sr. Jan. 5, 1926 Chandler June '7, 1927 Gordon Mar. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Sept. 11, 1933 therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent OIce.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of May, A. D. 1948.;

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oomzsszauer 0f Paenta. 

